A Hearth Warms the Body, A Friend Warms the Soul
by Loser-with-Candy
Summary: One-Shots about a boy with ice in his veins and a warm heart and a girl with fiery eyes and a cold shoulder.
1. Chapter 1

"Two adventurers cross into unknown territory. Danger could be hiding under any rock, Willump, keep on your toes." Nunu said, a wild sense of excitement in their voice. The young Freljordian boy was riding atop of his friend's head, peering at the forest around him. The fresh smell of pine and earth was vastly different from the smell of salt and ice up north.

Willump growled, matching his best friend's excitement. For this was indeed unknown territory for them. This was the farthest south east either of them had gone. They might as well be out of Freljord territory at this point. The mountainous terrain gave way to green lush forests, that had the chill of winter in the air yet none of its snow. Something that Nunu was doing his best to reconcile. Nunu felt his magic chill his bones. To others it would be numbing them to the core, yet to him, it felt like a rush of freedom. Magic was simply amazing, it was a sign for the duo that they were meant to be great heroes. Nunu was sure of it. The ice that left his hands formed a patch of snow that Willump trodden into. The forest hadn't even heard of snow before the two came down here. Now there was a cold blanket of it covering the ground.

"We can leave a trail, so we know which way we came." Nunu said, he peered down from atop of his perch. Willump growled, bringing up an important point. Always a font of wisdom to the boy. Nunu shook his head. "The snow won't melt right away. And we won't stay that long… just gonna have a look around. OH!" Nunu swung around Willump's horn, so he may hang across it and looked off to the distance.

They came across a steep hill, one that was perfectly suited for a slide. Nunu sent a wave of cold down it, coating it in lush powered snow. As if the yeti read the boy's mind, Willump grabbed Nunu into a tight hug and dove down the hill. The two slid down the terrain, swerving pass trees and rocks until the hill gave way to a large clearing. The crash at the bottom sent a wave of snow all around them. Willump rolled, Nunu still clutched in his four arms. They laughed as they seperated and patted away the snow clinging to their bodies. Willump shook from head to toe, making it drizzle with snowflakes.

Nunu shook out his hat, eyes roaming back up from where they had came. "Let's do that again!"

Nunu grabbed Willumps arm to lead him back up, but the yeti didn't move. The beasts big eyes were transfixed on expanse the clearing exposed. Nunu sensing his friend becoming distressed, climbed up. "What's wrong?" Nunu peered over his friend's head and saw what he saw.

Ash. All around the far end of the clearing was black ash. A fire had engulfed that half of the forest, leaving only a black marr in the landscape. The few trees that still stood were dead and jagged. Brittle to the touch. The fire must have been so intense to have this effect.

Nunu pat his friend, soothing him and brushing any worries away. "It's okay buddy, sometimes forest fires just happen…"

Willump huffed. He started to walk towards the ash. Something wasn't right. The wind still smell like smoke, meaning the fire must have died only a day ago. Willump could feel the warmth beneath his feet. The embers hidden in the dirt still burned. The trees leaning limp against each other also looked off. Nunu hopped off Willump and trotted alongside him. His feet kicking up little clouds. That's when he noticed the oddities too. The ground below was cut stone. There was a road here. Nunu bent down and swept his hands across the dirt. The cobblestone was jagged, but there was no mistaking it. It was pressed down even to make traveling by cart easier for the riders. His eyes went back to the trees. He rushed over to one and brushed a hand against it. This wasn't tree, it was a wood yes, but it wasn't a tree. It was posting for a frame. There was going to be a house built here.

Willump growled.

"Yeah… me too buddy. This is giving me the heebee jeebees." Nunu rubbed his arms. "But a hero must be brave!" Nunu grabbed onto Willump's paw, and with minimum effort the yeti hefted the kid up to his horns. "We must get to the bottom of this."

Willump nodded, shaking Nunu. The village here wasn't cramped together, the clearing allowed for ample room and expansion. So a single house fire shouldn't have spread so severely. Whatever caused this, was something bigger… possibly a raid...

"We should follow the road." Nunu pointed out east, and Willump followed. He hoped it wasn't a raid.

…

The ash gave way to a paved road. The well worn path was all packed dirt and cobblestone. Over time the path had widened from its original size, and the small sliver of cobblestone running down the center was now flanked by trodden dirt on either side. The forest was thick again, anywhere that wasn't the path was heavy with brush and tree. The only break in the scenery was when a river bisected the forest and ran alongside the road.

Nunu looked up the river. It was a small one, wide enough for barges to use and that's about it. Now that his view wasn't obstructed he could see that the river and road ran parallel for almost a mile.

"This gives me an idea!" Snow danced around Nunu's hands. Cupping them around his mouth, he blew and a flurry spread across the river. Ahead of him the river turned to ice. Tentatively he stepped onto it. Well, it didn't immediately crack, so that must be a good sign. Giggling he stepped farther onto the ice. He slid a few feet, pushing off from one foot to the other to gain speed. "Awesome!"

Willump took a step and the ice held. Seeing that, the big ball of fur slide and chased after Nunu. He leapt forward and landed on his belly. Nunu saw his friend closing in, and jumped. He caught onto the horns and let the momentum take him. He cupped his hands again and blew out another long patch of ice, extending their slide. This was much faster, and way more fun than walking.

As they slid further down the river, they kept up the speed, expanding the ice more and more until the length of river was all ice. They only slowed when they came across a bridge. The river forked in two directions, and the bridge crossed over one branching path while continuing on alongside the other. Nunu jumped off Willump and angled himself so he came to a halt right at the bridge. He looked down the road, then where the river had branched off to. Should they continue on the road? Nunu rubbed his chin mulling it over. As he thought, he heard the splash of water.

Willump had a crate upturned, pouring water from inside back into the river. A few of its contents came spilling out as well.

"What'd you got there?" Nunu walked over to Willump, the yeti put the crate back down and showed it to the boy. On the side was the branding of a merchant group. While the symbol wasn't known by Nunu he knew that it meant it had previously belonged to a caravan. "Was this floating down the river?"

Willump nodded. The yeti walked under the bridge and show that there was more crates. The contents were still there. Strewn about haphazardly. Willump sniffed the air. It smelled of smoke, and there was ash here too. Nunu noticed that there was wagon tracks underneath the bridge, they lead into the river heading upstream it seamed. Whoever started the fire must have stolen the cart, hidden it underneath the bridge, ransacked the goods, and then escaped by fording the river.

That settled it they would continue following the river.

…

While ice skating was fun, it was also exhausting. Having run themselves ragged, they decided to take things easy. The duo floated on a sheet of ice. The yeti laid on his back, using his four arms to paddle their way up river. Nunu laid atop of Willump, he made for an excellent bed, he was warm and his fur was the softest thing there ever was. As they rested, Nunu played svellsongur, the flute his mother gave to him. In his mind it was a mighty sword.

He was immersed in his song, an age old story his mother told him, when Willump tapped him on his shoulder. Looking down he saw that Willump had found another crate, and another, and another…

Nunu looked up and saw the wagon they were looking for. This must be the one all the crates had come from. The wagon was actually in tact, it was badly burned and covered in ash, but it was still in one piece. All the goods from the empty crates were strewn about the riverbank. Thrown around carelessly. Willump paddled their ice sheet closer. They drifted up to the wagon, Nunu jumping from Willump and into the cart. He saw that the cart was still half loaded. The crates that littered the river all had been empty, their contents not stolen but here, littering the ground. It was as if someone was looking for something specific. The ones inside were still full. By the contents it looked to be general goods. Cloths, glass bottles, ink and dyes, some parchment. There was a few crates of preserved food, too. Dried and salted elk from how it smelled. Nunu looked around the cart. From how waterlogue the wagon was, he had guessed right. It was used to ford the river. Heading up stream must have been difficult. Nunu pushed aside a crate and he gasped. There was a girl here!

She was unconscious. How did she get here? Was she kidnapped? Nunu looked around the area. Maybe her parents were nearby, and the cart wasn't stolen, but was running away cause of the fire? He tried to shake her awake. She groaned in response, and coughed into her hand. Nunu felt her forehead and pulled back in surprise. She had a fever.

Willump growled. A warning growl.

Nunu came around the wagon and saw Willump, the big guy was pointing to massive paw prints. It looked like bear prints, but the size was so much bigger than a normal bear. They were fresh too, made maybe earlier in the day. Nunu saw something move in the brush, he yelled out to Willump. The yeti turned in time to lock claws with a terrifying bear. The creature came roaring out of nowhere, appearing in a burst of heat and flame. Fire erupted around his mouth and… seams? Willump matched his growl with his own. His frosty breath quelling the fire. Willump used his extra arms to gain the upper hand and push the bear aside, sending it crashing into the river. The water boiled in an instant and steam filled the air.

"Get him Willump!" Nunu cheered.

Whatever that thing was, it clearly was the cause for the fire back at that village. They had a duty as heroes to protect this girl from the same fate.

Willump bite the bear and scalded his tongue. He fanned his mouth to cool it down. The bear used that distraction to push Willump off of him and return to the cart. Nunu's hands were covered in ice. He threw a trio of snowballs at the bear. A normal snowball wouldn't harm the bear, but these were imbued with magic. The ice slammed into the bear, and it slowed. Slowed just enough for Willump to wrap the bear in a tight hug.

"Stay away!" Was this how the hero felt in those songs his mother sang? Nunu felt a rush, of fear and of excitement, as he stood defiantly between the bear and its prey. He wielded svellsongur like the sword he imagined it to be.

The bear stopped fighting, staring at Nunu as if sensing the good nature of the boy. It was enough of a pause that it confused Willump and Nunu. The bear shrugged out of the hug, and came at the cart again. Nunu threw another trio of snowballs. The bear ignored it and approached the cart. Nunu stood in the way of the bear again. It did nothing in response. It huffed at his defiance and waited. Nunu looked to Willump, who looked back just as confused.

"T-Tibbers."

Nunu spun around and saw that the girl was tossing and turning. She was looking for the bear through groggy eyes, and she reached out to him once she saw him. The bear, apparently named Tibbers, reach in and holding out a claw to her, the two held each other gently. In a flash the bear was a stuffed toy clutched gingerly in her arms. She coughed into her hands again, and held Tibbers close. Her throat hurt and beads of sweat dotted her flushed face. Tibbers protected her from any trouble, whoever this boy was didn't pose any threat to her.

Nunu watched her as she shivered. So many questions needed to be answered. First things first though, "We need some medicine Willump."

Willump growled, and pointed to the sky. It was getting dark now.

"Yeah, and find shelter soon."

…

Nunu hung his cloak and hat on the spit above the fire. The fire they were nursing would help them dry after being in the river all day. The float back down river was easier this time. Though the thrill of adventure had died down at the moment. He was worried about the girl, who ever she was. The story was coming together. The bear, Tibbers, was looking for some medicine among the crates. That's why the cart was in such a mess, the scald marks and ash was caused by the bear. Now they only needed to figure out why the village was burned down. Was it the bears fault? Had it gone into the village looking for medicine for the girl, only to accidentally set fire to everything? Nunu had time to think about all this while Willump went off hunting for them.

Shelter was easy to make with magic at the tips of his fingers. There was a resting ground for travelers near the bridge. The two must have missed it, too engrossed in solving the mystery of the burnt down village. The ground was nice and leveled, there was also a patch of ground dug to create a fire pit. And there was also some wood fencing to keep out the wildlife. Nunu knew it would do little if the wildlift actually wanted to get into the resting grounds. That's why he was making shelter himself. An igloo formed seconds later, and Nunu moved the girl inside. He made it large enough to hold Willump, and if it had to be that large might as make it so the fire was also inside. It would keep the igloo warm, and keep out the chill of the night. Nunu made sure that the ice was spaced far enough away that it wouldn't melt while the fire was burning. Now that everything was situated, he sat down to wait for Willump to come back, and relaxed.

Nunu played a few notes on svellsongur, making up a new song. He didn't know what words would go with them yet. The melody was the only thing he had worked on. But he knew that he wanted this song to be about this adventure. A Song of Fire and Ice… no that sounded stupid. He'd work on a title later.

He played more notes. He sighed, his mouth was dry from playing too much. He should have refilled his waterskin at the river. Despite being able to create ice from thin air, Nunu disliked drinking water created from his magic. It tasted funny, and also it was way too cold. He almost gave himself hypothermia one time from drinking too much of it.

Nunu squeezed his cloak and hat, feeling if they were dry enough to wear. It felt warm from the fire, so it would be okay for a few minutes. Before he left, he went to the fire, and pulled a few stones from it. Ol' Freljordian trick. Heat up a few rocks to carry with you, so when you went out foraging, you could still be kept warm. He dropped it into his cloak and wrapped it tight around his body. He looked back one last time to see that the girl was still sound asleep. The cloth taken from the cart were bundled around her tightly. He crawled out from his shelter. Willump was still gone. He was taking much longer to hunt it seemed. The game must be different around these parts.

They hadn't traveled far from the cart, they parked it at the entrance of the resting ground. It was a good source of supplies so it was best to keep it nearby. The sun was just about gone, so he better make this quick before night really set in. He searched around momentarily before finding what he had found earlier. Water barrels. Traveling from village to village was difficult, and water was needed for both the people traveling and the horses pulling the cart. So merchants would use barrels instead because they stored much more water than personal waterskins. These barrels had taps, making access easier. Nunu popped open his waterskin and started to refill it. As the water gurgled, Nunu looked up at the sky. Looking for any shooting stars.

What he saw was fire erupting from the clearing, lighting up the cart and the surrounding forest. A pillar of fire was bursting out of the top of the igloo. Wide eyed he rushed back, spilling the water barrel and fumbling to cap the waterskin. He came back to the grounds and saw fire engulfing the igloo. Rubbing his hands together he forced a wall of cold to combat the flames. He pushed his way inside, parting the fire around him. He saw that the girl was tossing and turning. Her hand reaching out for someone.

Nunu couldn't hear her. The fire crackled too loudly in his ears, and the smoke was making seeing her a challenge. He pushed his way forward anyways. Nunu was next to her before he knew it, and a hand slapped across his face, his cheek stung but he shook off the surprise. He grabbed her hand and fell forward as she pulled him in. She was literally hot to the touch. He poured his magic through himself, chilling his body so he wouldn't be harmed by her. The two polar opposites of magic swirled in the air until it all snapped out of existence. There was no explosion, no thunderclap of power. Just instant equilibrium as intense heat and intense cold canceled each other out. The girl pulled him in close, and he hugged her. Whatever nightmare she was having was now fading at his touch.

…

Willump was exhausted, chasing rabbits around wasn't easy. They would run in one hole, only to appear out another. It took a lot of time, snow, and plugging of holes to finally get enough for him and Nunu to share. Returning back to the resting grounds, Willump noticed the igloo Nunu made. The entrance was large enough for him to crawl through. Ducking his head down, he shuffled his way in. Rabbits ready for Nunu to skin and cook.

What Willump saw first was Nunu and the girl huddled together in the spare cloths, keeping each other war. The yeti smiled, as he noticed when the girl became restless, Nunu was there to calm her down. The yeti placed the rabbits on the far end of the igloo, creating a pile of snow to preserve the meat for the morning. He curled up close by, watching over the two sleeping kids.

…

The girl woke up and looked around the igloo. The strange surroundings confusing her.

"Dad?" She called out, then remembered what she had done so many nights ago. Tears formed in her eyes, and she sobbed. As the ragged breath left her, she felt the reassuring touch that held her all last night. She thought it had been Tibbers, but the boy laying beside her was a stranger.

She pushed away from him, and fell backwards. Her back pressed against warm fur. She turned around expecting to see Tibbers, but again, it was someone else. Something else. It was as large as Tibbers, and just as furry, but it had white fur instead of brown, and two large curled horns atop its head. Anxiously she patted around, until she found her stuffed toy. She quietly stared at him. He was suppose to protect her from strangers, yet he left her in the care of these two?

The boy stirred awake. He yawned expressively and stretched. She scooted back, giving him room, and subconsciously putting space between them.

He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and noticed the girl was watching him. "Oh uh… rise and shine!"

"W-where am I?" She asked, eyes roaming the igloo. There wasn't an entrance to this place at all.

"We're just down the road from your village." He said, stretching again. Though his demeanor was friendly, she was put on edge by his words. Did they know what she done? "We were passing by and saw that it was burnt down, then we found you."

The temperature of the igloo rose, as she mentally prepared for a fight. She'd burn a hole through this igloo if she had to. Well, she would have, if she didn't started coughing. Her whole body shook with each cough, and she nearly dropped Tibbers because of it. The boy came up to her, gently forcing her to lay back down.

"You're still sick. You have to rest." He smiled at her. "I'll cook us up some lunch. Willump caught us some rabbits last night that we can eat!" He looked over to the furry beast. He was still sound asleep. The boy laughed, commenting on him being too lazy for his own good. He pulled out the rabbits from a snow pile. They were already skinned and gutted… and wait did he say lunch?

The girl looked up through the hole of the igloo, the one used to let out smoke. Sure enough the sun was high in the sky already. He hummed a song as he stuck the rabbits onto the spit. The fire was dying out, so he fed it more wood. She sneezed and the fire rose in a burst. He leaned back at the sudden eruption.

"...Sorry."

"It's okay, that's nothing compared to the fire you were making last night. That was really cool, but really scary, too."

Last night? She had a horrible nightmare last night, and usually when that happened, everything would be ash when she woke up. Yet he looked fine, not even a small bit of singeing. He saw her staring and he smiled back. She forced herself to look away, turning around to stare at the icy wall instead. She sniffed, her sinuses were clogged up, though she could still smell the aroma of cooked meat. It made her stomach rumble. She hadn't had a good hot meal in days.

"Hey, I'm going to go out for medicine, the cart we found you in didn't have any, so I was gonna trade some of the goods at the nearest town for some. It's not that far." He said. "Promise you'll be here when I come back? Willump will keep you company until then. He doesn't do well in villages." He leaned in and whispered the last part, as if it was a secret he shouldn't be sharing behind the yeti's back.

He sounded so earnest. Curling up into a ball, she looked over her shoulder to see that he was waiting for her to answer him. She wasn't one to trust easily. Her step-mother sought to that. But his disarming smile and honesty was hard to hate. She gave in, and nodded.

"Okay, I'll be quick!" He put a the roasted rabbit before here. "Eat if you're hungry."

He crawled across Willump and slipped behind the big creature. The entrance must be behind it. She watched him go, only just remembering that she should have asked for his name. Guess she'll have to ask once he comes back. Sitting up she began to eat the roasted rabbit. It was bland, there was no season what so ever. Figures, wasn't like there was a fully stocked kitchen in here.

...

Waiting was boring. She still felt too weak to even go out for a walk. The best she could do was stretch inside the igloo. Tibbers sat in her lap, and she mentally conversed with him. He was the only connection she had left of her family. Her mother was gone, missing after she went out one night and never came back, and her father was… that was her fault that time. She was just so angry at her step-mom. She caught Willump staring at her and she froze, he stared back as if reading her soul. It frowned at her, not upset at her but empathetic for her.

Willump growled, his voice like a gravely purr. It sounded cute. Way cuter than she thought how he should sound. He waited, and she then realized he was trying to talk to her. She looked at him, and again he growled and nudged his nose to the stuffed toy in her hand.

"His name is Tibbers."

He nodded. She must've guessed right. He growled and purred, way longer this time. All meaning was lost to her, and he must have noticed it by the look of her face. He growled and slumped down. Having given up trying to talk to her. Willump was far too used to Nunu, the boy understood him perfectly. As if he talked yeti fluently. Willump let magic dance across his paws, and imagines made of snow dust came to life.

A bear, a village, fire, and then a question mark. Willump again nudged his nose to the stuffed bear.

She looked down, hands petting Tibbers anxiously. She looked at him earnestly, she didn't want the boy to be mad at her. "Please don't tell him…"

Willump paused, he hesitantly nodded and held out his pinky. Something Nunu had taught him. The girl smiled and accepted the pinky promise.

"It was my fault…" She hugged her knees as she remember what had happened.

"Some adults-" Her hands balled up tight in anger. "They were threatening me, because of a fire that burned down some crops further south. That wasn't my fault, I wasn't anywhere near there when that one happened. But they didn't listen, they only knew about what I could do. They kept yelling at me, to talk to my parents. Yelling that they needed repay them for their loses… They were yelling and yelling and…"

Her hands twisted around Tibbers, playing with the loose seams on his arms. Fire was sparking to life between her fingers. And Tibbers was growling between the stuffing. Willump laid a paw on her head. He growled and she could sense that he understood. The fire died down in her as he gently patted her head over and over again. She was reminded how her dad would do this when should couldn't sleep. She hugged him and allowed her mind to rest.

"I didn't mean to… not really." She sniffled, "The last thing I remember was crashing the cart into the water to try and escape…"

Willump really did understand. Before Nunu, Willump attacked any and all Frostguard that wander into his territory. Untrusting of anyone who came his way.

…

It was almost dark again when Nunu returned. He smiled when he saw that she kept her promise. He crawled into the igloo and settled next to the fire. The fire was alive despite it barely having any wood left, Nunu suspected that it was because of the girl. He shrugged off his backpack, digging through it and pulling out a small jar. Whatever the medicine was made of smelled awful.

"You're supposed to mix it with hot water and drink it." Nunu said, he took out a pot to start boiling water. From the look of the pot and its pristine condition, he had just bought it.

She didn't want to waste time, and raised the temperature of the fire. In seconds, the water was boiling. Nunu scooped in the medicine and let it steep in the water. He stirred it and once it was fully incorporated, he handed the pot to her. She looked down at it and then up at him. He sheepishly shrugged.

"I, uh, didn't have enough to get cups." He chuckled at his bad luck.

She accepted that. Honestly he probably got swindled out of his money from who ever sold him the pot, and medicine. The scent of the medicine wafted up into her nose and she grimaced at the smell. Was this really going to help her feel better? She took a sip, and nearly gagged. It was medicine alright.

"I got honey if you want that."

She nodded eagerly, and let him pour in honey from another jar he had. This was foraged from the wild hives by Willump. She liked her sweets, and didn't tell him to stop until a huge dollop fell into the pot. The flavor was much more bearable this time, and she took her time to drink the medicinal tea.

She drank in silence as he squirmed in his seat. She looked up when it started to get annoying.

"What happened at the village?" He broke down and asked out of the blue.

She looked over to Willump and the big yeti gave a her a smile and a wink. Rolling her lip between her teeth, she settled on a believable lie. "When I get sick, I have trouble controlling my magic."

"Oh no, I'm sorry." He was so trusting, she almost regretted lying to him, "That must have been some fever then. When we found you, you were still burning up."

She nodded. "Uh-huh. I was brought here cause the village was said to have a doctor. A really good one."

"Brought by your parents? Is that their cart then? Cause we sorta lost a lot of the goods in the river, and I just sold a bunch to get you your medicine." Nunu stopped talking as he saw her curl further into herself. He was prying too much.

"Let's start over," He say up straight, and held out his hand. "My name's Nunu, and the big guy over there is Willump. We're adventurers and traveling heroes. The greatest of Freljord's"

She looked down at his hand, and took it gently. He happily shook it and sat back down, waiting for her to introduce herself. "...Annie. Just, Annie."

"Nice to meet you!"

Annie smiled at him. She placed the pot back onto the fire. She sighed, "I was brought over here by… family friends… I don't have any parents. Not anymore." She drew circles in the dirt, waiting for him to say something.

Nunu felt like he found a kindred spirit. It wasn't so long ago that his mom went missing during an attack on his caravan. She was still out there. He had to believe that. Annie wasn't so lucky as him though. But at least she knew what had happened to her parents. "I'm sorry…" He looked over to Willump, the yeti had been quiet this whole time. "Guess that means all three of us are all alone… Willump's the last of the yetis and I'm still trying to find my mom… Maybe, maybe we can be each other's family. That way we don't have to be so lonely all the time."

Annie looked up at Nunu, his earnest smile was infectious. He and Willump were smiling at her, both trying to help her feel better. She smiled back at them. "Sounds like fun."

* * *

A/N: Just something quick I wrote up after I read Nunu's new lore. This new backstory for Nunu is so GOOD, he's too pure and innocent for this world. His new lore shares some similarities with Annie that I thought were interesting, what's up with League having all their children champions be orphans? So I just wanted to write something where they meet for the first time.

I don't know if I'll leave this as a one-shot or continue this later.


	2. Chapter 2

Traveling with Annie was difficult. Nunu and Willump were used to avoiding towns and caravans, as most people were at best wary and at worst openly hostile of the yeti, they were used to roughing it in the wilderness. No, traveling with Annie was difficult because she wasn't as used to surviving on her own as they were. Traveling with his mom, Nunu learned how to travel light with the caravan, and from other elders how to hunt and trap game for food. Annie had lived a (somewhat) sheltered life. She had told him that her father did the hunting, while she mostly stayed at home. She hadn't shared the fact that she played up her innocence to leech off sympathetic families, so never learned even after finding herself on her own. He didn't need to know that.

They were traveling along the river. This time not by ice skating or ice rafting. The wagon they had found a few days back was becoming too beat up to ford the river properly, so it was hitched to the back of Willump while the yeti walked along the riverbank. Willump was carrying both kids, Nunu riding atop his head while Annie sat in his arms. The yeti didn't mind them, he was all too happy to let them ride aboard. If they needed to travel at night, they would sleep in the wagon while he pulled.

A chill ran over the trees and down through the river. Annie shivered and curled further into Willump's warm fur. She cupped her hands around her mouth and blew a small puff of fire into them. The warmth spread, and she rubbed it onto her arms.

Nunu noticed and leaned down onto Willump's head. "We need to get you some warmer clothes. Those won't do once we reach Freljord."

Annie looked down at her purple dress and knee socks, and then frowned. He had a point. If what she heard about Freljord was true, then that place was literally all ice during the winter. Nothing but endless blue and white ice. She wouldn't want to get sick again after just recovering. And she definitely didn't want to become an Annie-cicle. Her fire magic couldn't keep her warm forever.

"We should head into a town, see if we can't trade anymore of these goods for warmer clothes." Nunu said.

"What about the furs we already have. Why can't I just wrap myself in those?" Annie wanted to argue. She really hated heading into towns, there was always the fear of rumors spreading too far. One town ran her out before she could even step through the gate, the story of a child witch scared all of the villagers and they didn't want to risk letting her stay within their walls.

"That's just furs. They aren't tailored to wear." He rolled his eyes, obviously you can't drape fur over yourself and call it a day. Specially tailored winter wear will keep Annie much warmer than layers of mismatched cloth and leather. "There should be a lumber town up this way!"

"Oh yeah? How do you know that?"

"Cause of the logs." Nunu pointed up the river. There was fork in the river, where one branch was dammed off specially to allow water through but no logs. And there was many many logs floating in the water. The logs would bounced off the dam and floated down the correct channel. Creating an endless supply of logs for the town further downstream to pick up. It was more practical to use the river to transport than to have horse drawn carts.

Nunu watched them carefully. Noting the direction the water flowed. Willump and come to a stop and was angling to let the kids off of him. Nunu hopped off and was followed by Annie. The little girl was looking down the river. She brushed her fingers and gasped at how cold it was. Fire engulfed her hand and the water steamed off of it. This water was freezing! They'd have to figure out a different way across. The wagon wouldn't do any longer. Annie looked around. Maybe they could just walk along the side. She noticed that the far end was flanked by steep cliffside, so that wouldn't do. The side they were on was also becoming rockier. They'd have to head back into the forest and travel through there. The river was too risky to travel by for now.

Nunu jumped from the river bank onto a passing log.

"Hey careful!" Annie wanted to scold him. If he fell in he'd catch pneumonia, her dad always warned her not to stay out in the rain or cold too long or else. There was also the danger of getting stuck underneath too many logs. He'd drown if that happened.

"What!?" He called back, the log already drifting farther down the river.

"I said be CAREFUL!" Annie wanted to say a word no kid her age should say. She turned to Willump help her reel in Nunu's adventurous nature. While the yeti could be just as playful and carefree, it at least knew when to be responsible.

At least it should know! Annie saw Willump gathering enough logs to join his friend, ditching the wagon entirely. The wagon that had all the goods worth trading. Annie stifled her frustration and ran over to the cart, they should at least take some of the goods. Willump jumped and the logs bobbed in the water, struggling to keep the big guy afloat. The yeti laughed and hopped to a different log, chasing after the kid like it was a simple game of tag.

"C'mon Annie, catch up! It'll be just like the story with the frog! Crossing impossible rivers to find its family!"

Annie grabbed an arm full of furs and jumped onto a log. It began tipping and she yelped and jumped to the next one. Then the next one And the next one. Her free arm pinwheeled around, trying to keep her balance. She was scared she'd almost fall in when the log was stabilized when ice formed around it. Ice captured the nearest set of logs, tethering them together and creating a makeshift raft. Annie breathed a sigh of relief as she saw Nunu using his magic.

He smiled at her and laughed. "Hey slowpoke."

She huffed and pushed the furs into his arms. The furs fell into his lap as he doubled over backwards. "Lay these out, I don't want to sit on the cold ice." She crossed her arms, and made it a point that he should listen to her or else he'd find the ice melting beneath his feet.

His brows furrowed at her unexpected rudeness. He took the largest pelt and rolled it out, deciding that it would be more comfortable if it was placed over the largest log at the center of the raft. As he smoothed out any wrinkles, Annie came and sat at the center. She was brushing any dirt off Tibbers that might have gotten on him from her mad dash to follow after him. Nunu saw that she was making a point of not paying any attention to him, and if he couldn't notice that, the small heat wave coming off of her was more transparent.

Willump came paddling by with his own raft, the logs only held together by his extra arms. He was half soaked from the waist down, having struggled with getting his together. Nunu's raft was larger, so Willump tried to climb aboard. The raft tilted wildly and Annie yelped. She fell onto her stomach and glared at Willump. The big guy sheepishly let go and stayed on his own log. The raft tilted back to a stable position, but Annie kept her death grip on the fur pelt tight.

Nunu looked uncomfortable, glancing back to Willump and an annoyed Annie. "Um…"

"The town's coming up." Annie said cutting him off. She sat back up and brushed the wrinkles out of her dress. "Willump should hide before we gets too close."

"R-right." Nunu looked over to his friend and the yeti paddled off. Angling himself to the closest river bank. "He'll stay close enough to the city's edge. We can meet him when we decide to leave."

"Great." Annie said, eyes still on the town ahead.

…

Nunu didn't know how to handle the silent treatment. He still didn't know what he did wrong. Annie was staying barely in talking distance as they wandered the small market square together. The place turned out to be a cross road for trade, but only for a few fringe towns at the edge of civilization. There was a wide variety of goods for sale, but nothing extravagant. The most expensive thing Nunu saw was from a traveling merchant heading through the town coming all the way from Piltover. They were selling some expertly crafted hunting rifles. This far north, rifles and guns were still very much new technology. The concept of blackpowder was known, but everyone had doubts about the actual usefulness of it. At the outrageous prices the merchant was asking for, people will be carrying those doubts for a long time.

"Looking for anything kid?" A merchant asked. This wasn't the one selling the guns. A older woman that wore her age on her face. Her hair was held up in a bun and was greying at the temples.

"Yes, we're looking for a tailor. We got furs that we need to turn into a set of traveling cloths." Nunu said.

"We?" The woman looked over to see Annie hovering nearby, she was eyeing the guns with a mixed sense of fascination. Anything that burned she was curious about. The gun merchant was showing off sparklers, hand held fireworks that were 'safe' for kids. The woman nodded, noticing that compared to Nunu, the girl was underdressed for the cold weather. She had pelts wrapped around her tightly and she suppressed a shiver when a cool breeze came through the square. "I have some coats you could look at. I'll trade them for the furs themselves, so you kids don't have to wait in the cold for me to craft them."

"Thanks!" Nunu turned to Annie and called her over. She gave him the side eye, eventually walking over when she was done looking at the fireworks.

The woman waved them inside her large cart. It doubled as her shop, the adjoining tent would triple the size the cart would provide on its own. The place also had some torches inside, providing warmth for any who'd come inside. All around Nunu and Annie hung leathers and pelts. Rolled up in elaborate displays. Next to the displays were tunics and cloaks, patterns and designs the shop owner could create after the customer choose their preferred fur. Annie continued further into the tent, brushing pass Nunu without saying anything, trying to find something that wasn't too large for her.

"She looks quite upset." The woman mused, she smiled knowingly at Nunu as the kid rubbed the back of his head.

"Uh, yeah, I don't know why though." Nunu glanced back at Annie, she was feeling a pelt between her fingers, the bushy fur engulfing the little digits. "I should apologize, mom said to always apologize if you did something wrong."

"That is true, but if you don't know what you did wrong, then the apology is hollow of meaning. You end up saying sorry just to say sorry." The woman pat Nunu on the head. "Think about it first, and maybe get her a gift while you're at it. That always cheers me up after a fight with my wife."

"She likes sweets…" Nunu mused.

"The cart next to mine is my brother's. He's a candy maker, tell him his sister Ajanna said you can get anything you wanted, pay him a visit while I help your girlfriend."

"Thank- whu, she's not my- she's a-"

Ajanna smiled sweetly. "A girl that is only a friend. I understand."

Nunu blushed and hurried to the cart. Running off in one direction before turning around to head off in the other.

Ajanna walked over to Annie and knelt down to her. She held out a leather for Annie to see. "How about this? The pelt is a soft beige, it will match the young boy's yellow coat."

"I don't want to match." Annie pouted. She purposefully looked at something black. She adjusted the furs wrapped around her, holding them tight against her bare arms. "All this stuff is too big for me."

"I have some coats your size further back." Ajanna held her hand out, but Annie refused to take it. Taking no offense, she walked further into the shop. Here there was coats for kids, not many shops made clothes for kids, especially in the more rural towns. It was too expensive to keep making a new set of clothing each time a kid outgrew their current ones. Most shops would make something large for everyone to wear, or use excess fabric that a tailor could adjust as the kid grew.

Annie was drawn to a blue coat hanging off to the side, it had an inner lining of white fur like Nunu's cloak. It even had a hood so Annie could keep her head warm. It was quite lovely. Annie walked closer to it and the shop owner followed close by. She felt the material between her fingers, it was incredibly soft to the touch. There was even wool packed between the inner and outer layer, insulation against the cold.

"That one is falling out of fashion, so I can sell it to you for a discount."

"We only have the furs to trade." Annie looked down at the fur around herself. She got mad again at Nunu and Willump for ditching their cart. If they brought that along they would no doubt have more to trade for.

"That's quite alright." Ajanna said. She removed the blue coat from the display. Allowing Annie to hold it up to see if it would fit. "I can't leave a young girl to freeze in the winter. Besides, you underestimate that fur you're holding. That is some quality wolf pelt you've got."

Annie looked down at the fur. It looked just like normal wolf furs to her.

"Fair trade, I give you the coat for… let's say the pelt, and an ear."

"An ear?" Annie stepped back confused.

"An ear open to an apology, from a friend." Ajanna smiled. "The little boy you're with will figure out what he did wrong eventually. So for the coat, you give me the furs and promise that you'll hear him out when he comes back."

Annie shrugged off the furs and gently folded them into a neat square. She handed them over but Ajanna didn't take them until Annie promised she would hear Nunu out.

…

Annie stepped outside the tent. Her new coat fit perfectly, the blue contrasted against her red hair nicely (way better than she thought it would), and the white fur lining was much warmer and was better protection against the cold than the furs pelts. Maybe it's cause this was tailor made to be worn. The kind shop owner even threw in a pair of gloves for her. Annie rubbed her hands together, the wool mittens warming at her touch. She shuffled her feet, waiting patiently for Nunu to come back.

She looked back at Ajanna, probably the only adult besides her father that she liked. The old woman waved her goodbye, before someone caught her eye. Annie turned around, following her gaze to see Nunu coming back. In his arms was a large bag of chocolate goods.

Annie was about to scold him for wasting what little money they had, when she remembered they didn't have any money and the furs they had, she traded for the coat. Nunu held the out the bag for Annie to take. His head bowed a little, as his foot dug a little circle in the dirt.

"Sometimes, I forget... Willump and I traveled alone together for so long now that sometimes we can do reckless things, things that can upset others, just cause we think it could be fun. You probably didn't think it was fun chasing after me an Willump across those logs. And you were scared of falling in, and didn't like me teasing you for being too slow… I'm sorry for making you to worry."

Annie took the bag, and glanced over to Ajanna, she tugged her ear, silently reminding Annie what she promised. Annie nodded and turned back to Nunu. "Apology accepted."

Nunu raised his head and smiled.

"I'm not sharing any of this, just so you know." Annie too a bite of chocolate. Enjoying the sweet and bitter taste. She'd promised to listen to him, she made no promise about sharing.

"Aww but-"

Annie blew a raspberry at him and ran off. Nunu gave chase, not actually upset about the chocolate, only happy his friend was no longer mad at him.


	3. Chapter 3

Annie shivered under her blue coat. Freljord was too cold for its own good, and trying to keep warm by super heating the air was difficult. The spell drained mana if used for too long and they had been traveling since the morning. She nestled deeper in Willumps arms as the big yeti trodden along the snow. The mountain trail was well worn, and provided a gorgeous view of the village nearby. The valley that nestled the village was coated in a thick blanket of snow, and every house had a column of smoke rising out of their chimneys. The festive comradery infesting the town echoed up to their ears. Annie could make out a few songs if she concentrated hard enough. It wasn't fair, how can they have nice warm fires and cozy houses to stay in while she had to rough it out in the woods. "Bah Humbug!" She said, willing the words to reach the village below.

"Ba-what-huh?" Nunu leaned over from atop Nunu's head. He wasn't at all bothered by the cold, of course he wasn't he had grown up here since he was young. Well younger that is. The boy adjusted his hat before it could fall off. Tying the two tassels on the side so it hugged his chin. A few flecks of snow fell down off his head from the movement. Annie's heated aura melted them before they came too close.

He was still looking at her and she sighed. He won't stop until she told him. "Nothing. Just something from a story my dad told me. He always told it around this time of year."

"Oh you gotta tell me it. Especially if I haven't heard it before!" Nunu said and Willump growled in agreement. The two were always up for a new story. If the story was good, and it will be if Annie likes it, then he'd add it to his own list of stories to retell. Nunu slid off Willumps head, and the yeti scooped him up in his other arm. He got comfy and looked at Annie bright eyed and waiting.

Annie smiled, she couldn't resist once Nunu started looking at her with excitement.

"Winter has come, and with it Snowdown. And… and." She started strong but let her words fade after the first sentence, mouth slowly frowning as she remembered the full story. It was a story that was suppose to encompass all the warm feelings of family and companionship during Snowdown, to say even an ol scrooge can find happiness even after being so stingy and spiteful in life. Right now, feeling the cold air around her and seeing the houses far below where happy (together) families lived, didn't really help her own abandoned feelings. Especially now as she thought that this would be her first Snowdown without her father.

"Annie…" Nunu leaned forward, voice soft and caring. "You're crying, are you okay?" He leaned forward and brushed a mit across her cheek. Annie flinched away as she took in what he said. She brushed her own mitted hand across her eyes, wiping away any tears. She didn't notice when she started crying.

Annie sniffed hard, and rubbed an arm under her nose. "I-" She shook her head, she decided to change the subject, if only by a little bit "Do you celebrate Snowdown?"

"Of course! I mean, Freljord is always snowy anyways, but we still have the festivals and the feasts. This one time my mom..." Nunu's smiled cracked into a frown. He understood now. Snowdown meant family and they had lost theirs.

Willump growled, and held the kids closer together in a tight hug. Nunu pushed away from the hug or else he'd drown in the fur. A small chuckle escaped his upturned lips. Annie yelped as she fell beneath the yeti's arms. She waved a single hand out from beneath the fur, looking for purchase. Nunu grabbed onto her hand and hoisted her up so she can breath again.

"Willump is right…" Nunu said, his voice getting a bit melancholy. "I miss my mom… you miss your dad… but together, at least we aren't entirely alone. We can still celebrate Snowdown if we want."

Annie pursed her lips in a half forced smile, she knew on some level he was right. She wasn't alone anymore. She had been traveling with Nunu and Willump for weeks now, and this has been the best she had ever felt in a long time. But...but that doesn't mean it still doesn't hurt. She brought up Tibber to her face, burying her chin deep in his fluffy back. The smell of cherry wood embers brought her back home, her mind remembering how her father and her huddled close to the fire as they drank spiced melted chocolate. She wanted to have a Snowdown just like that one. A Snowdown with Nunu and Willump.

"I'll tell you the story, but only if we find shelter that's not a cave." Annie said

Nunu's smile returned, "Pff, easy peasy."

...

"At least it has four walls." Nunu said as he walked up to the entrance of the mill. Willump was walking the perimeter, checking for anything dangerous. The worse he found was that the creek wasn't entirely frosted over. The duo were quite pleased with their find.

"There's no roof!" Annie stamped her foot on the cobblestone path. The crooked building leaned heavily to one side. The wood was moldy and she was sure there was an infestation of rats huddled somewhere in the building. The old mill's waterwheel was frozen solid due to the weather and the added weight made the building lean. Either the shift in weight or the wooden gears jamming up was the cause of the collapsed roof. Annie guessed that this building had been abandoned since.

Nunu popped his head out of one of the broken windows. "It's actually quite nice here." He slipped back inside and popped out a different window. "The roof only sorta fell inside. All it is, is a bit snowy."

Willump came out from behind the building. All four of his arms full of firewood. Some of it was useless as it was frostbitten. Luckily that wasn't a problem Annie couldn't solve.

"C'mon Annie, we'll have to shovel all the snow out before we can stay inside." Nunu waved from the doorway. He checked how much daylight was left, if they hurry, then maybe he could hear her story before sleep overpowers him.

Annie sighed. She followed the boy inside and took in the interior. The mill was also a house it seemed. Part of the second floor had fell into the first when the roof collapsed, but it was still easy to see the different bits and pieces of furniture among the debris and snow. Annie moved carefully around the room. Her feet trudging through the untouched snow. Nunu was right beside her, using his magic to part the snow and start the clean up process. There was half a couch, the stuffing of its cushions were exposed where a seam popped. What looked to be a dining table and a set of chairs. Most of which were intact, the table though had two broken legs. And some shelving where moldy books gathered dust.

If this place was also a house that meant- The sudden thought of an actual bed made Annie's mind race. Annie was so sick of sleeping on the hard ground night after night. She ran upstairs and only vaguely heard Nunu's warning. She made sure to skirt around the broken floorboards and avoid what was left of the banister. She opened the first door she found and squealed. A bed, an honest to god cotton bed. The bedding and pillows were still intact if a bit dusty, any snow in the room was on the opposite end, where a missing wall lead back where they came.

Annie took a step forward when Nunu caught her by the hand.

"Wait," Nunu gestured to the room. "This room is right next to the hole. We don't know if it can hold us. Let's clear the snow out first, then check out the house."

"Ugh fine." Annie huffed. Together they walked down the steps. The floorboards creaked under their feet with each step. They could see Willump below rolling the snow into balls, and chucking them out the door. Nunu jumped the last few steps and began rolling his own ball of snow, magic aiding his movements. Annie looked across the room from her higher vantage point and saw that more than half the room was full of snow. In one corner it actually reached the ceiling. She jumped the last step and pushed Nunu and Willump aside. "Move."

Fire engulfed her hands, and the air around her rippled from the sudden heat. Nunu tugged at his collar as sweat instantly formed at the back of his neck. Willump wrinkled his nose as the blast of heat caught him off guard. Before either could say, 'overkill', Annie unleashed the torrent of flames, and the room was filled with fire. Then just as quickly, steam. As the steam escaped through the open roof, Annie clapped her hands together, pride puffing her chest. The house was clear of snow, mildly damp, and only one corner was singed black. Nunu had to agree that was much quicker than their idea.

Now that the snow was gone, the trio got a second look around the house/mill. There was a doorway to a kitchen the snow was hiding, as well as three strong looking support beams that held up the second floor. Looks like they'll be able to get to that bed after all. There was also a side entrance to the mill side.

"Hey there's a fireplace." Nunu walked over to the far end of the living room, now that they can tell where the living room began and the dining room ended. He bent down into it and looked up the chimney. "Looks collapsed. No wonder we couldn't see the top of it from the outside."

"That shouldn't matter, the roof is gone anyways." Annie said with only a the smallest hint of annoyance, already setting up a stack of the firewood Willump found on the hearthstones. Nunu scooted out of the way, and Annie pushed the wood stack into the center. With a snap of her fingers the fire was lit. She loved watching fire dance, she would have stared for hours if she didn't have anything else to do. Stepping aside, Annie began sorting through the rest of the firewood, separating out the frostbitten logs from the pile. She laid out those ones in front of the fire to thaw and dry out.

Willump slumped near the fire while Annie worked and rubbed his paws together. Yeti or not, being warmed up by a fire always felt good.

"Don't get took cozy buddy. We still need to go hunting for dinner. If it gets too dark we won't get anything to eat." Nunu tugged at Willump's arm. Even if the beast was easily five times his size, Willump made a show of falling over at Nunu's insistence. Nunu dragged Willump across the floor comically and out the door. "We'll be back before dark, Annie."

"Okay, I'll see if I can clean this place up some more." Annie waved them off, and turned to survey the room once again. If she can find the linen closet maybe she can make a makeshift tent to protect them from the snow. First she'll have to figure out what to do with all the debris from the roof.

...

Willump draped the young elk over his shoulder, it was already skinned and gutted before coming anywhere near Annie. Last time she fainted when he skinned a rabbit in front of her, and was visibly upset while she ate it (Poor little bunny). As they got back to the millhouse, Nunu pointed for Willump to head out of sight so he can start cutting the meat into more manageable chunks. This should easily last them two days. Willump's portions were a lot bigger than Nunu's and Annie's. Nunu poked his head inside and was surprised.

A pillow fort, it could only be a pillow fort, was constructed in front of the fireplace. The bed was brought down, Nunu guessed with a lot of effort, and was placed at the foot of the fireplace. Flanking its sides were the remnants of the couches, expanding how much room was available to lay about. Chairs were stacked up upon one another and were draped with fur blankets to act as a barriers against the cold. Tied up on the second floor, before it became a gaping hole, was a large linen sheet that was pulled taught and tied again at the corner of the pillowfort. Through the sheet, there was a healthy orange glow from the fireplace radiating inside. Nunu circled around the fort, looking for his red headed friend. The dining table was tipped over, the edge of it and the fur from the chairs made the entrance. Annie wasn't inside. Nunu turned around to the rest of the living room. She even cleared away some of the debris… or burned it until it was nothing but ash. From the small soot circles on the floor, most likely the later.

When he couldn't find her he called out her name.

She called back from the kitchen. Inside he saw Annie at the water basin. "There's still water in whatever reservoir the house uses." She said. This was fortunate, they had almost ran out of water, and Nunu was worried they'd have to start drinking from the ice he created. Which was a last resort kind of thing. Now they can refill there waterskins with fresh water. "I also found a bunch of utensils, so we don't have to eat with our hands for once!"

"Cool." Nunu came over and looked at the water basin. There was some light steam rising out of the water. She had heated some up to start washing some plates and utensils preemptively. Figuring she'd be done soon, he gestured back to the front. "We're gonna eat and sleep in the living room?"

Annie turned around, so she could look at her pillowfort. "Oh uh… yeah, cause the dining table was too broken to use, and it'd be too cold sleep upstairs without the fire nearby. I tried to make it so no snow would get on us when we sleep. We should be fine."

Nunu tapped his chin, "I can maybe make a roof of ice if you're that worried about the cold."

"The fire's good enough. There was a bunch of fur and blankets in the closets upstairs that'll work. I even made sure there was enough room that Willump can sleep with us, so we can cuddle up with him if we need to."

Willump growled loud as if he had heard his name. The noise grabbed their attention. Nunu beamed, "Willump's done prepping, I'll grab our share of elk and start cooking it. Check if there's any spices left in these cabinets."

Annie nodded and put the plate she was washing down so it could dry. She rummaged through the spices and double checked if they had gone bad. Some of the dried and sealed jars were still good, maybe. Some water got into the salt, so that wasn't useful anymore. There was moldy bread in one section that made Annie gag. Who knew how long that was sitting there. Not much to work with, but at least they won't be eating elk bland.

…

The elk meat turned out good, despite the kids accidentally overpowering it with too much spices. Annie charred her share to a black crisp to mask the mistake. With dinner done and the night sky above their head, Nunu felt a song coming along. Willump drummed his tummy to the beat of svellsongur. No words came along as the spur of the moment melody took them by surprise. Annie watched as Nunu's fingers slid from note to note in a complex improvised dance. Her hands beat out a tune on her lap, using whatever was in reach to add to the song. Nunu peeked over to see Annie smiling and laughing as she decided she wasn't a musician and instead made Tibbers dance.

Nunu played one last note, letting it linger in the air. Annie was always enraptured by his playing, it was so soothing to listen to, and his stories always so enthralling. She and Willump clapped as Nunu finished with a flourish. He stood atop his mass of pillows and bowed to his two companions. "Thank you thank you… and now up next Annie." He did a smaller second flourish and waved his hands at the little girl, mentally putting a spotlight on her.

"Me?" Annie looked back and forth to the two in front of her.

"Yeah, you promised us a story if we found a place to stay." Nunu plopped down and tucked his into his arms. Willump nodded, she did say she'd tell them.

"I don't think this really counts." She looked around the pillow fort and the run down house beyond the furs and blankets. Her gaze landed back on the exaggerated sad eyes Willump and Nunu were throwing her way and she giggled and shook her head. "Okay fine."

Annie scooted over to the other side of the bed. She stood to take center stage, so to speak. She heard Nunu tell his stories so many times, she wanted to make sure she put on a good show for him and Willump. Nunu leaned forward with all of his interest and attention. Their eyes met, and Annie suppressed a blush that crept onto her face. She shook the embarrassment away, Nunu would love this story just as much as Annie already did. Her father told her it so many times that she knew it by heart. With one last breath to calm herself down, she began, putting on her best Piltovian accent.

This will make for a good Snowdown Memory.

* * *

A/N: Kinda of a spur of the moment one-shot. Honestly I didn't think I'd write another chapter for this story, but hey it's the holidays and if that doesn't scream Nunu and Annie, I don't know what does. Had no idea where it'd take me once I started writing this chapter, it's more or less just a small slice of life moment of these two's travels.

Anyways, Happy Holidays. See you all later, Love you, BYE!


End file.
